Castor bean seed ingestions: a state-wide poison control system's experience

CONTEXT

Ingestions of the seed of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) carries the risk of toxicity from ricin, a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to describe characteristics of castor bean seed exposures reported to a state-wide poison control system.

METHODS

This was an observational case series. A state-wide poison control system's database was reviewed for exposures to castor bean plant seeds from 2001 to 2011. Case notes were reviewed and data collected, when available, included age, gender, circumstances surrounding exposure, number of castor beans consumed, whether beans were chewed or crushed, symptoms described, laboratory values (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], prothrombin time [PT] and international normalized ratio [INR]), duration of follow-up, treatment, and patient outcomes.

RESULTS

Eighty-four cases were identified. Ingestions were unintentional in 50 cases (59%) cases and intentional in 34 (40%) cases. A median of 10 seeds (range: 1-20) were ingested in intentional cases versus 1 seed (range: 1-40) in unintentional cases. In 49 (58%) of cases the seeds were reported to have been chewed or crushed. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most commonly reported symptoms. Vomiting (n = 39), nausea (n = 24), diarrhea (n = 17), and abdominal pain (n = 16) predominated. One patient developed hematochezia and vomiting after reportedly ingesting and intravenously injecting castor bean seeds. Laboratory values were documented in 17 (20%) cases. Only one abnormality was noted; an asymptomatic patient one week following ingestion had AST/ALT of 93 U/L and 164 U/L, respectively. Ricinine was confirmed in the urine of two patients. Twenty-three (27%) cases received activated charcoal. Seventy-two (86%) of cases were calls from health care facilities or referred to health care facilities by the poison control center. Twenty-two (26%) cases were admitted for a median of 2 days (range: 1-10). Admitted cases ingested a median of 8.5 seeds (range: 1-20). Intentional ingestions were followed for median of 37.5 h (range: 0.5-285.5) while unintentional cases were followed for 14 h (range: 1-182). No delayed symptoms, serious outcomes, or deaths were reported.

DISCUSSION

Due to the presence of ricin, there is concern for serious outcomes after ingestions of the seeds of the castor bean plant. In this study GI symptoms were most commonly reported but serious morbidity or mortality was not present. The true risk of castor bean plant seed ingestions should continue to be re-evaluated.

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective review, gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common symptoms described after reported exposures to castor bean seeds. These exposures were not associated with serious morbidity, mortality, or delayed symptoms.

New evidence for, and challenges in, linking small CGG repeat expansion FMR1 alleles with Parkinson's disease

We recently reported a significant increase in the frequency of carriers of grey zone (GZ) alleles of FMR1 gene in Australian males with Parkinson's disease (PD) from Victoria and Tasmania. Here, we report data comparing an independent sample of 817 PD patients from Queensland to 1078 consecutive Australian male newborns from Victoria. We confirmed the earlier finding by observing a significant excess of GZ alleles in PD (4.8%) compared to controls (1.5%). Although both studies provided evidence in support of an association between GZ-carrier status and increased risk for parkinsonism, the existing evidence in the literature from screening studies remains equivocal and we discuss the need for alternative approaches to resolve the issue.

Clinical Efficacy and Effects of Xylitol Wipes on Bacterial Virulence

The aim of the study was to investigate whether xylitol-wipe use in young children prevented caries by affecting bacterial virulence. In a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, 44 mother-child pairs were randomized to xylitol-wipe or placebo-wipe groups. Salivary mutans streptococci levels were enumerated at baseline, 6 months, and one year. Ten mutans streptococci colonies were isolated and genotyped from each saliva sample. Genotype-colonization stability, xylitol sensitivity, and biofilm formation of these isolates were studied. Despite a significant reduction in new caries at one year in the xylitol-wipe group, no significant differences were found between the two groups in levels of mutans streptococci. Children in the xylitol-wipe group had significantly fewer retained genotypes (p = 0.06) and more transient genotypes of mutans streptococci (p = 0.05) than those in the placebo-wipe group. At one year, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of xylitol-resistant genotypes or in biofilm formation ability of mutans streptococci isolates between the two groups. The mechanism of the caries-preventive effect of xylitol-wipe use may be related to the stability of mutans streptococci colonization. Further studies with genomic characterization methods are needed to determine specific gene(s) that account for the caries-preventive effect of xylitol.

Surveillance of antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the WHO Western Pacific and South East Asian regions, 2007-2008

Long-term surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been conducted in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region (WPR) to optimise antibiotic treatment of gonococcal disease since 1992. In 2007 and 2008, this Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GASP) was enhanced by the inclusion of data from the South East Asian Region (SEAR) and recruitment of additional centres within the WPR. Approximately 17,450 N. gonorrhoeae were examined for their susceptibility to one or more antibiotics used for the treatment of gonorrhoea by external quality controlled methods in 24 reporting centres in 20 countries and/or jurisdictions. A high proportion of penicillin and/or quinolone resistance was again detected amongst isolates tested in North Asia and the WHO SEAR, but much lower rates of penicillin resistance and little quinolone resistance was present in most of the Pacific Island countries. The proportion of gonococci reported as 'resistant', 'less susceptible' or 'non-susceptible' gonococci to the third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic ceftriaxone lay in a wide range, but no major changes were evident in cephalosporin minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) patterns in 2007-2008. Altered cephalosporin susceptibility was associated with treatment failures following therapy with oral third-generation cephalosporins. There is a need for revision and clarification of some of the in vitro criteria that are currently used to categorise the clinical importance of gonococci with different ceftriaxone and oral cephalosporin MIC levels. The number of instances of spectinomycin resistance remained low. A high proportion of strains tested continued to exhibit a form of plasmid mediated high level resistance to tetracyclines. The continuing emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant gonococci in and from the WHO WPR and SEAR supports the need for gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance programs such as GASP to be maintained and potentially expanded.